Please note: This letter does not guarantee that you will be granted a visa, nor does it commit SEG to assist you in obtaining a visa. SEG will not pay any expenses incurred by you. It is the sole responsibility of the attendee to obtain the necessary paperwork for entry to the U.S. It may take additional time to obtain travel documents. It is advisable to start the process early.

For those traveling without a visa to the United States from one of the 35 Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries (see Step 1 above), a machine-readable passport is now required. If your country is not yet issuing machine-readable passports, you will need to obtain a visa for travel as referred to in Option 1. For more information regarding machine-readable passports, please refer to Step 3 below.

International visitors to the United States from Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries are also now required to apply for travel authorization online via the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). For more information regarding this recent change, please visit the ESTA Web site.

Please note that the information listed above is a general guideline for travel to the United States. Because travel requirements may change, SEG recommends that attendees contact their local embassy to ensure they have proper documentation.

Step 2—US-VISIT Program All travel to the U.S. with a non-immigrant visa, regardless of country of origin, requires registration in the US-VISIT Program. This includes visitors traveling under the Visa Waiver Program. Scans are needed of your two index fingers and a digital photograph in order to match and authenticate travel documents at the port of entry. US-VISIT requirements do not replace visa requirements for entering the United States.

Step 3—Machine-readable passport requirements All VWP travelers to the U.S., regardless of age or type of passport used, must present a machine-readable passport. Depending on when travelers' passports were issued, other requirements may apply:

Machine-readable passports issued or renewed/extended on or after 26 October 2006 require an integrated chip with information from the data page (e-Passport).

Machine-readable passports issued or renewed/extended between 26 October 2005 and 25 October 2006 require a digital photograph printed on the data page or an integrated chip with information from the data page.

Machine-readable passports issued or renewed/extended before 26 October 2005 are not subject to further requirements.

Important note Travelers may now be asked to provide their name as it appears on the government ID they plan to use when traveling. Airlines will also begin asking passengers to provide their date of birth and gender, as part of the TAS Secure Flight Program.